Hair drier



Jan, 9 19360 .1. E. KELLEY 2,26,942

HAIR DRIER Filed Oct. 31, 1933 1 gjzj?wv TOR.

Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to hair driers of the type used in beauty parlors, and provides improvements therein.

This invention provides a drier possessing a number of advantages over those heretofore in use: it provides a machine having means whereby the proper position of the hood, with respect to the head of the person Whose hair is being dried, for most efiicient drying, is assured; it provides a machine having means whereby the movement of the hood from its position of maximum stability is limited so as to maintain a high degree of stability in all positions of the hood; it further provides a drier which may be used with great facility by operators; and it provides a machine embodying means for avoiding wasteful use of electric current especially by careless operators.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the drier with the lower part of the pedestal or stand broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the switch housing just above the pivotalconnection shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, in the off-position of the switch.

Fig. 4 is a. diagrammatic view of the electrical arrangement.

Referring to said drawing, numeral l0 designates a stand or pedestal comprising a telescopically arranged rod l2 and a sleeve 14, and arranged to be set at different heights by means of a binding-screw H), for example, to conform with the height of persons seated beneath the drier and having their hair dried.

Numeral l8 designates a casingwithin which is mounted an electric motor 20 driving a fan 22. There is also preferably mounted within the casing electrical resistance elements for heating the air in its passage through the casing. At the front end of the casing there is arranged a hood 26 adapted to partially surround the head of a person whose hair is to be dried. Within the hood 26, and spaced somewhat from the inner wall thereof is a shell 28 provided with perforations 29 for distributing air over the head of the person whose hair is being dried.

Numeral 30 designates a pivotal connection between the casing l3 and the stand or pedestal Ill, and provides for lowering the hood over the head of a: person, and raising it therefrom.

The pivot connection conveniently comprises friction plates 32, 33, through which a bolt 34 passes and by which the plates 32, 33 may be pressed together to give the desired amount of friction. One of these friction plates, for example plate 32, is fixed on the rod i2 which forms part of the stand Ill.

Numeral 38 designates a switch through which the electrical circuit of the fan motor 23 and electrical resistance heaters 24 passes. The switch 38 or a part thereof, is mounted so as to move with the casing [8 around the pivotal connection 30. The switch 38 is conveniently mounted in a switch-housing 40, which housing in the arrangement illustrated may have fixed thereto one of the friction plates 33 constituting part of the pivotal connection The switch-housing furthermore is conveniently arranged as a support for the casing i8 and for this purpose may be provided with a saddle 42 in which the casing 18 is seated.

The switch 38 is of a character that the making and breaking of the circuit therethrough is effected by the movement of the casing I 8 and around the pivotal connection 33. The switch 38 is preferably a mercury-switch comprising two terminals 45, ii sealed within a glass tube 49 containing a quantity of mercury 53. The mercury switch and the tube 19 of the mercury-switch are conveniently supported by spring clips 52 attached to the housing 43.

A rheostat 55 may be provided for controlling the amount of current flowing through the resistance heaters 24 and thereby the heat of the air delivered through the hood 26.

For most etficient drying, the hood 2% should occupy a. definite position with respect to the head of the person whose hair is being dried. Many operators fail to properly position the hood over the head to get the best results in drying, often placing the hood at an improper angle over the head so that the air fails to follow the intended direction over the head, and thus requiring considerably more time for drying the hair than would be the case if the hood were properly positioned. According to the present invention, means SE] are provided for limiting the angular movement of the casing around the pivotal connection 30, so that when the hood is moved down over the head, the casing i8 is stopped at an angular position corresponding to the best or an optimum position of the hood over the head, adjustments as to height being made through the telescoping parts Ill and E2 of the stand, instead of an angular movement of the casing.

The means 63 conveniently comprises lugs 62 and 63, arranged respectively on a fixed and on a movable part of thepivotal connection 39, and

arranged to abut when the casing is in an angular posit-ion with respect to a head for thermost efficient drying, which, in the construction illustrated, is a position wherein the longitudinal axis of the casing is substantially at right angles to the axis of the support it].

When the casing is in proper position for drying, the casing and the parts supported thereon are in their most stable position, or slightly beyond such position. In turning the casing on the pivotal connection to lift the hood from the head of the person whose hair is being dried, the operator will frequently turn the casing through so large an angle that the stability of the drier will be so reduced that the drier will be relatively unstable, and hence is liable to fall when the device is moved or when a person carelessly bumps against the device. Accordingly means are provided for limiting the angular movement of the casing around the pivotal connection 30, in the direction of upward movement of the hood as well as in opposite direction. This means conveniently comprises the lug 65 fixed to a movable part of the pivot connection 30 and arranged to abut the opposite side of the lug 62 carried on the fixed part of the pivotal connection. Lugs 63 and 65, in the construction illustrated, are arranged to limit the movement of the casing I8 to an angle of approximately 35. The position of maximum stability is within said angle, and the structure has a high 'degree of stability in all positions of the hood within the limits of angular movement around the pivot 30 provided by the lugs 62, 63 and 65.

The electrical circuit through the electrical parts of the drier is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4. Current enters through a lead 10 connected to one side of an electrical circuit, flows through the closed switch 38, through conductor 3 1, passes through the motor 20, and passes back to the line through a conductor 12. and lead 13. The electrical resistance heaters 26 are connected in multiple with the motor 20 through conductor l5, rheostat 55, heaters 24 and conductor 11. A tell-tale lamp 80 may be provided in the circuit to give a visual indication of the current being on or cit in the drier.

Operation Fig. 1 shows the drier in the position of use. In this position the lug 63 abuts against the lug 62 and holds the casing H3 in such position that the hood thereon sets over the head of a person whose hair is being dried in the proper position for optimum eificiency of drying, as heretofore explained. Adjustment of the hood to the height of the person whose hair is being dried is effected through the telescoping parts l2 and 13 of the stand it and the binding screw 15. In this position also, the mercury 50 in the switch 38 spreads across the two terminals 46, M and closes the circuit through the fan motor 20 and the electrical resistance heaters 24. The fan sets up a flow of air through the drier, the heaters 2d heat the air, and the perforations 29 in the shell 28 direct the heated air against the hair. Tell-tale light 8? is illuminated at this time and shows that the electrical parts or" the drier are working.

After the drying has been completed, the operator grasps the hood and lifts it upwardly, the casing and parts movable therewith turning around the pivotal connection 36 until the angular movement of the casing 38 is stopped by the abutment of the lug G with the lug 62. In this position the hood is raised from the head of the person whose hair has been dried, so that the machine may be freely trundled from the sitter, or the sitter may rise without difiiculty. When the hood and casing l8 are being moved upwardly, as just described, the mercury 50 in 5 switch 38 fiows into one end oi'the tube 49, (illustrated in Fig. 3) breaks the circuit between the terminals 36 and t? and stops the motor 20 and the generation of heat by the heating elements 24. The upward movement of the hood 26 in the casing l8 thereby automatically stops the working of the drier. This automatic stopping of the current avoidswasteful use of electricity occasioned by the iorgetfulness of operators to turn the switch in those types of hair driers where the cutting ofi of the current is effected by the independent operation of a switch. By the construction, the liability of operators with wet hands, receiving a shock by reason of having to touch a switch to turn the current on or ofi, is avoided. Furthermore the lug 85 limits the upward movement of the casing 18 when it abuts against the lug 62, and as heretofore explained, this limitation of the movement of the casing l8 prevents the operator from moving the casing 18 upwardly beyond the position where the structure retains a high degree of stability.

The invention may receive other embodiments than that herein specifically illustrated and de-SO scribed.

What is claimed is:

l. A hair-drier comprising a stand, a casing and a hood and a motor-driven fan mounted I thereon, a pivotal connection between said cas- 85 ing and stand, and an electrical connection to said motor-driven fan including a switch having a part movable with said casing around said pivotal connection arranged to operate to close the circuit through said switch when the casing 40 is turned to bring the hood over a head, and to operate to open the circuit through said switch when said casing and hood are turned upwardly, around said pivotal connection.

2. A hair-drier comprising a stand, a casing 4 and a hood and a motor-driven fan mounted thereon, a pivotal connection between said casing and stand, and an electrical connection to said motor-driven fan including a mercury switch movable with said casing around said piv- 5Q otal connection and arranged to operate to close the circuit through said switch when the casing is turned to bring the hood over a head, and to operate to open the circuit through said switch when said casing and hood are turned upwardly, '55 around said pivotal connection.

3. A hair-drier comprising a stand, a casing and a hood and a motor-driven fan mounted thereon, a pivotal connection between said casing and stand, and means for limiting the piv- 0 otal movement of said casing in one direction to a predetermined position, such position corresponding to a position of said hood over the head of a person whose hair is being dried atwhich highly efficient drying is eifected, said pivotal connection being such that said casing is movable at said connection to and from the position where it is stopped by said limiting means by manual eiTort applied solely to said casing, and an electrical connection to said motor-driven fan including a switch having a part movable with said casing around said pivotal connection and arranged to operate to close the circuit through said switch when said casing is turned to said predetermined position, and

to operate to open the circuit through said switch when said casing is turned upwardly around said pivotal connection from said position.

4. A hair-drier comprising a stand, a casing and a hood and a motor-driven fan mounted thereon, a pivotal connection between said casing and stand, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said casing in one direction to a predetermined position, such position corresponding to a position of said hood over the head of a person whose hair is being dried at which highly eflicient drying is effected said pivotal connection being such that said casing is movable at said connection to and from the position where it is stopped by said limiting means by manual effort applied solely to said casing, and an electrical connection to said motor-driven fan including a mercury switch movable with said casing around said pivotal connection and arranged to operate to close the circuit through said switch when said casing is turned to said predetermined position, and to operate to open the circuit through said switch when said 10 casing is turned upwardly around said pivotal connection from said position.

JOHN E. KELLEY. 

